


Relaxed

by KillianJones32



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluffy Connor, M/M, Texting, Tumblr Prompt, Wrong number
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillianJones32/pseuds/KillianJones32
Summary: "Connor enters the message and his eyes widen when he realises that he sent the selfie of him in the bath to this random unknown number."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt I received on tumblr: “I sent a selfie of myself in the tub to the wrong number and you responded back with another selfie. Holy shit you’re really attractive.”

...

Connor stretches out his legs in the water and lets out a content sigh. 

This is just what he needs after a long hard day, a nice leisurely bath. 

His muscles ache from traipsing after his ungrateful boss and his neck hurts from the strain of paying attention in lectures. 

There’s a few candles lit in the corner (Gemma sent him some for Christmas and they smell really good okay? Don’t judge) and all Connor wants is to lean back, close his eyes and relax. 

But of course Connor knows all too well that you don’t always get what you want.

His phone was playing beautiful, soothing, relaxing instrumental music until it beeped loudly, signalling that he had just received a text message, just great.

Connor groans, dries his hands off on a nearby towel and reluctantly checks his messages. 

**From Asher Millstone: Hey man can I borrow your notes?**

Connor rolls his eyes and hastily types back, **‘Busy, I’ll email them to you later’**

**‘Oooh you gettin' some? ;)’**

**‘No. I’m just busy.’**

**‘What are you doing that’s more important than sending me your notes?’**

Connor growls in frustration, he could really kill Asher sometimes.

Connor tilts his head and pulls his signature sneer expression before taking a picture.

Unfortunately his hands are slightly wet when he goes to send it, causing his screen to convulse.

Connor curses under his breath because this was really not his night. He exits out of editing sending number and sends the selfie instantly just to have some peace.

He sets the phone down on the windowsill beside him and finally allows himself to relax in the warm, perfectly temperate water.

*beep*

Connor inhales and then exhales harshly. He’s going to ignore it. He will not let Asher and his tendency to fall asleep in lectures get in the way of his night off.

If he wanted the notes so badly then he should have paid attention and written them himself.

*beep beep* His phone summons him again and Connor’s eyes fly open as he begrudgingly flings his hand out to reach the phone, determined to just switch the damn thing off when he sees a text from an unknown number.

Connor’s eyebrows draw together, hoping it’s not one of his one night stands who somehow got his number or especially not the ones who he had been forced to delete/block due to harassment.

Connor enters the message and his eyes widen when he realises that he sent the selfie to this random unknown number.

“No, no, no.” He mumbles under his breath, pressing the return button to his messages and clicking into his thread with Asher.

Surely enough he didn’t send the selfie to him.

Fuck he must have mixed up the contact when his phone freaked out on him.

He’s never buying an iPhone again.

Connor runs a hand through his damp hair, dries off his other hand and forces himself to read the stranger’s reply.

There are two messages.

The first says,

**‘Eh, sorry but I think you’ve got the wrong number’**

And then the next is a picture, a selfie too.

Except this man’s selfie is certainly better and a lot cuter than his had been. Connor sits up straighter and brings the phone closer to his face.

The man in the picture, who looks Connor’s age or maybe a year or two older, offers the camera a small smile and even that displays super adorable prominent dimples that make Connor unknowingly grin.

His brown eyes are hidden by thick, square coke bottle glasses but Connor sees that they shine with amusement, no doubt finding it hilarious that some random guy is sending him a picture of himself making a horrid face in the bath.

Connor swallows and rushes to respond,

**‘Fuck I’m sorry; I meant to send that to a friend who was annoying me.’**

**‘Though I’m not that sorry’**

**‘You’re quite cute’**

**‘Very cute’**

Sending four messages is probably a bit desperate but who cares? This guy’s adorable.

It’s not that Connor can’t go out to a club and pull his own guys because he most certainly can. But the same types of guys always approach him.

They’re the drop dead gorgeous, cocky, arrogant guys (like himself) and he usually goes along with it because he’s not picky and sex is sex but…Connor always had a thing for the cuter, understated ones.

He’s beginning to regret his decision to respond until the stranger finally replies five minutes later.

**‘Thank you, you seem cute too. Even when you’re pulling a face you manage to look hot”**

Connor grins and sits up straighter in the bathtub, he snaps another selfie with his eyes lidded and his bottom lip trapped beneath his teeth and presses the send button.

**‘This better?'**

The man replies in less than a minute

**‘Much'**

Connor grins, instantly forgetting about the candles and the music and the bath.

**‘I don’t get another pic too?'**

Two minutes later his phone beeps and Connor is faced with the image of the same man lying down on a couch with his arm thrown over his face. As disappointed as he is that he cannot see the man’s adorable dimples again, Connor is pleased to see more of this guy.

He’s wearing a maroon sweater and the angle that the picture was taken shows off the guy’s muscular arms and silky dark hair.

Connor is officially intrigued.

**‘Very mature'** Connor teases

**‘Why thank you.'**

Connor shakes his head to himself, and here he thought this cute guy was going to be sweet but no, apparently he was just as much of a smartass as Connor was.

And Connor can feel himself getting roped in already.

**‘What’s your name?'**

**‘Are you trying to stalk me?'** Connor’s purely joking but he has had a particularly bad experience before from a one night stand who wouldn’t leave him alone. He would rather not relive it.

**‘Eh, you’re cute but you’re not that cute.'**

**‘Charming, I’m Connor.'**

**‘Oliver, Connor why are you still texting me?'**

**‘I could ask you the same question.’**

**‘I asked first.’** Insufferable, Connor thinks but he’s smiling as he types his reply,

**‘Because you’re cute, now it's your turn.’**

**‘I suppose I’ve a weakness for men who send selfies in the bath, surrounded by candles and fluffy white bubbles.’**

Connor groans aloud in embarrassment.

**‘Shit you noticed them?’**

**‘It all looks very lovely, are any of the candles scented?’**

**‘Rose and vanilla I think? Rose and lavender? I don’t know, it was a fancy name and it was a Christmas present.’**

**‘I’m sure it was.’**

Connor feels himself smiling at the conversation that follows; the gentle jabs from Oliver at his shameless flirting. The laughter that escapes his lips at Oliver’s nonchalance response to every innuendo Connor makes.

He even smiles because of that specific feeling bubbling in his stomach like the slowly disappearing bubbles in the bath.

The same feelings that always find him in nothing but trouble because the last time he let himself feel something for someone, really feel something for someone, he got hurt. And when Connor Walsh gets hurt, he breaks down.

He cannot break down again.

But for some reason even that fear doesn’t stop him from continuing to talk to this delightful stranger.

It’s about an hour later when Oliver is asking him about his shitty day that Connor realises that the water has long since run cold.

**‘Give me a minute’** He types **“I’m just going to get out of the bath’**

**‘You’re still in the bath?’**

**‘Yes. But I won’t be in a sec so just wait a minute.’**

**‘Okay.’** Connor can just tell that Oliver is laughing at him.

It takes Connor fifteen minutes to hop out of the bath, dry himself off and change into his comfy sweatpants and t-shirt but then he’s snuggled up in bed with his phone clasped in his hands.

**‘I’m back.’**

**‘Where’d you live?’**

Connor scoffs, ‘Wow who’s the stalker now?’

**‘No I just meant what state do you live in? I assume you’re American due to your phone number.’**

**‘Aw damn because I was hoping you’d appear at my door with a bunch of flowers and a handful of dirty promises and ideas on how to ravish me.’**

**‘Well I can’t exactly ravish you if you live on the other side of the country now can I?’**

**‘Pennsylvania. Grew up in Michigan though but I’m going the college here in Philly.’**

Connor doesn’t know why he’s telling this guy this. Maybe it’s because they’ve been texting for two hours now and the guy hasn’t sexted him once which is a surprisingly nice change or maybe it’s because he doesn’t actually mind this man knowing what state he lives in.

He probably should have paid more attention in high school when they warned about ‘stranger danger’

**‘Philly? No way’**

**‘Eh yeah; why?’**

**‘I live here too.’**

Connor’s stomach does that idiotic fluttering thing but he forces himself to ignore it.

**‘What? Wow that’s mad’** is the only thing Connor’s dumbfounded mind can come up with as an educated response.

**‘Yeah... so college huh?’**

**‘Well law school actually.’**

**‘That sounds difficult, you must be pretty clever.’**

**‘I am.’** He’d never been one for modesty

**‘Of course you’d agree. Hey, just wondering and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to but do you go to Middleton?’**

**‘I’m pretty sure that’s the only law school in Philly Oliver so yeah I do.’**

**‘Oh’**

**‘Oh? Why do you go there too?’**

Connor’s eyes almost bulge out of head as he reads the incoming words on the screen, **‘No. I don’t but eh I do work there.’**

**‘What…so you’re like a lecturer?’** He’s admittedly a little cautious of the answer. Sure the whole teacher/student thing can be hot but he’d rather not live out the reality of that particular fantasy.

**‘No! No God no! I’m not that old! I’m the I.T. guy and I work part time in the library sometimes when they’re busy.’**

**‘The library gets busy?’** Their college library is old, dusty and holds vastly outdated books that nobody needs or reads anymore. Somehow Connor can’t imagine it filled with groups of excited, studious students.

**‘Shut up’**

**‘No, no I’m sorry but it’s just I thought the only people who went to the college library went there to fuck.’**

**‘I tried to tell that to sweet old librarian but she wouldn’t believe me.’**

Connor snorts, **‘Sweet? Sweet, that lady is a demon. I went in there once for a research project and she ran me out of there.’**

**‘Research project huh? Definitely not for sex?’** Connor smirks, he knew this guy was smart.

**‘Okay maybe it wasn’t a research topic but she didn’t know that.’**

**‘Suppose so.’**

**‘So how come I haven’t seen you around? I’d remember someone like you, Oliver ;)’**

**‘It’s a big university plus we’re probably in different buildings.’**

**‘True’**

Oliver didn’t reply for a few minutes but when he did, Connor’s smile slipped from his face.

**‘This is weird’**

**‘No it’s not.’**

**‘I don’t even know you…’**

**‘You could get to know me Ollie’**

**‘Ollie?’**

**‘Yeah, nickname. I kinda like it.’**

**‘I kind of like it too. I shouldn’t. But I do.’**

**‘If this is so weird then why are you still replying?’** Connor settles back against the pillows, wondering how on earth he ended up here, waiting on the edge for a reply for someone he never knew existed until a few hours ago.

**‘Because I haven’t dated anyone in months and you’re really hot.’**

**‘Aww Ollie!’**

**‘I’m pathetic I know’**

**‘No you’re adorable and cute and hot and attracted to guys! Yay! This is a plus for me.’**

**‘Did you honestly think I would have even responded to your first or second selfie if I was straight?’**

**‘Confirmation is always nice ;)’**

**‘Right well I’m very gay Connor’**

**‘Good to know.’** Very, very good

**‘What about you….are you single?’**

**‘I don’t do boyfriends’** Connor types this out of instinct but his thumb hesitates over the send button. He spends a few seconds debating it before finally letting go and adding a few more words to the message **‘But sometimes I make expectations.’**

**‘Sometimes?’**

**‘Only for the cute boys who return my weird selfies with goofy smiles and adorable dimples’**

**‘You’re too kind Connor’**

**‘Nah I’m actually a jackass, just ask my friend Asher.’**

**‘Asher Millstone?’**

‘ **Oh crap you know him?’**

**‘He's one of our…regular visitors to the library…and not for studious reasons.’**

**‘I swear I’m not as shitty as my friends’**

**‘I’m sure’**

Connor swallows, **‘Let me prove it to you’**

The tiny bubble of three dots appears and disappears for three agonising minutes.

**‘What do you mean?’**

**‘You ever been to the coffee shop around the corner from the law building?’**

**‘I don’t think so’**

**‘It’s called Flynn’s. It does amazing, addictive coffee and delicious cupcakes that’ll make you wish you never ate them because you’ll always want more. Meet me there tomorrow at 1?’**

**‘Why are you even interested in me?’**

Honestly Connor isn’t so sure.

He has so much going on in his life right now, perhaps now isn’t the right time to actually try a relationship for the first time in five years.

But maybe it is the right time.

Because this guy is funny and smart and cute, he’s been more than willing to text a random stranger for over two hours and he’s clearly interested.

One date couldn’t hurt and if it doesn’t work out then he can always go back to his usual routine of one night stands and forgotten phone numbers.

So with all of that in mind, Connor takes the plunge,

**‘Because I think that I could really like you.’**

**‘But you don’t even know me’** Oliver’s reply makes him swallow hard because how could someone sound so small and insecure just through a text message.

**‘I know…but I want to.’**

That taunting white bubble appears and disappears again on the screen but when the message finally does come through, Connor can’t remember a time ever being happier to read a text message.

**‘See you at 1 and you better show up.’**

Connor feels his lips pull into a wide, unbreakable grin as the butterflies in his stomach go wild.

**‘See you then Ollie. Looking forward to it’**

And for the first time all day, Connor feels truly relaxed.

...


End file.
